What Wondrous Love Is This?

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might
live through him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us,
and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.
~ 1 John 4:9-10

Among the miracles of sacred music is that one doesn't have to have an extensive education in writing to compose inspiring text, nor in composition or arrangement to marry the text with a beautiful, moving tune. Nor is great skill or experience in musical performance needed to sing most of the exquisitely moving hymns that have come down to us over the centuries. Many of the most famous and moving hymns familiar to us today, sung in churches and in gatherings of Christian believers throughout the world, sprang from the spiritual experiences and sentiments of unknown humble people living otherwise ordinary lives, in remote times and places. These treasures have become enshrined in our culture through oral tradition, often aided by the work of more educated men and women who sojourned among the common people and preserved their best native music in compilations from which organized churches later drew much of the material for their hymnals and songbooks, thus bringing them out of obscurity and into the spiritual experience of believers everywhere.

A leading example of these "folk hymns" is the hauntingly beautiful What Wondrous Love is This?, often titled simply Wondrous Love. Its discovery and preservation are most widely attributed to William Walker (1809-1875), an American Baptist song leader, shape note "singing master," and compiler of folk music. A brief biography notes that while yet a teenager the musically gifted Walker led congregational singing at the First Baptist Church in his home town of Spartanburg, South Carolina; later he collected and arranged folk tunes, and participated in singing schools and compiled melodies from southern Appalachia and camp meetings. After moving to Hartford, Connecticut, Walker published The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion in 1835, using the shaped note music notation system that was for generations the foundation of musical teaching in rural America, and on which the "Sacred Harp" singing tradition is based. Wondrous Love was included in this compilation, and from it this hymn gained its first widespread exposure (although it may have first appeared in print in earlier, lesser-known compilations).

William Walker and his Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, 1835

True to its folk origins, the melody of Wondrous Love appears to be a variant of a once-familiar dance tune that was set to the text of a song called "Captain Kid." The tune is in a form of minor called Dorian mode, which gives the hymn its "haunting" or "plaintive" character. This mode also leaves an impression that the melody should end one step lower than it does, producing a sense of incompletion--when it is over, one feels as if there is still more to sing. This is serves as an invitation to repetition, which is central to the hymn's appeal.

This becomes clear from the text of Wondrous Love, which recounts and celebrates the central truth, and most precious miracle, of being: that Justice and Mercy are One, that God is love (1 John 4:8), and that to save every person from his own sins, the innocent Lord of All left His glorious throne in Eternity and, while we were yet sinners, gave His life for us (Romans 5:8).

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb who is the great "I Am";
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.

Despite the tune's minor key, which is often associated with sadness, Wondrous Love bursts with the redeemed sinner's joyful exultation, thankfulness, and praise for his Savior. This glorious theme is strengthened by the repetition in each stanza, which not only made the hymn easy to learn and remember for the 19th century Appalachian pioneers who first sang it, but also (as one observer notes), functions like a rhythmic incantation or mantra, building and reinforcing the power of the message as the hymn progresses. Beginning with a sense of wonder and awe, the hymn becomes a triumphant anthem that literally echoes "through eternity."

As this is a folk-based song published a number of times in various compilations and hymnals since the early 19th century, there are many additional or alternative verses, and there have been a number of arrangements.

Several excellent video performances of Wondrous Love are available; my only difficulty was choosing which to feature here. The rendition below is a capella by the fine bluegrass group Mountain Blue--and the video presents a host of inspiring images of our Savior:



The next rendition is by American folksinger and songwriter Connie Dover in a vaguely Celtic style, accompanied by uilleann pipes and synthesized background music. The verses here are more numerous and depart somewhat from the traditional text--focusing less on Christ's bearing of our guilt than on the joy of knowing His love--but are still historically grounded, and beautiful.The video features stunning images of Michelangelo's Pieta and other great works of Christian art:



Christian artist Fernando Ortega presents a unique and beautiful arrangement for solo piano and cello, accompanying his achingly expressive voice:



And now for something completely different--yet, perhaps, truest to its origins: Wondrous Love sung in the "Sacred Harp" style! This was recorded at the Southwest Theological Seminary, Fort Worth Texas, in January 2012:



As we remember the Passion of our Lord during this Lenten season, and approach the precious time of Easter, let us all "sing and joyful be," and keep always in our hearts and minds the Wondrous Love that makes possible life with Him "through all eternity"!

But we see Jesus,
who was made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honour;
that He by the grace of God
should taste death for every man.
~ Hebrews 2:9

Sweet Hour of Prayer

As for me, I will call upon God;
and the LORD shall save me.
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud:
and he shall hear my voice.
~ Psalms 55:16-17

When we were born, we passed from our Creator's presence into a world of shadows and fog, illusions and half-light, mountains and chasms. At any moment in our lives we grasp only part of the truth, and must search for the rest, which may be obscured and distorted. Our intellect is limited, and we are distracted from pursuing what is true and right by the temptations of this world. We are discouraged by obstacles and may fall into a pit of confusion and despair, over and over again. How do we regain the road of hope and purpose? How do we discern the will of Him who made us, and secure His aid and comfort amidst the stresses and storms of life?

Prayer! It is our lifeline to God, our tether to the Eternal, our anchor in an endless ocean of trouble. Through it we repent of our waywardness and lay our lives at His feet. Through it we can pour out our hearts and seek guidance and support from our loving Lord. Through it we gain strength to fight the powers of darkness and to do God's will. Prayer is also the means by which we thank our Heavenly Father for all our countless blessings and for His help, and by which our souls sing His praises, as it should every moment. Prayer opens to us the light of God's truth and peace, and involves our Lord in every aspect of our lives and our doings here on earth. It is truly a stairway to, and from, Heaven.

This is how we were meant to walk upon the earth, our whole lives offered up as a prayer of supplication, consecration, thanksgiving, praise, and joy to our beloved Lord. In order to do this, as the Apostle Paul taught, we must “[p]ray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The formula is to "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7)

Nothing written, outside Scripture, better expresses the importance and miraculous role that prayer plays in the believer's life than the hymn Sweet Hour of Prayer. The traditional account of the story behind this beloved work is itself a simple but touching lesson in the power of prayer.

The writer of the text, William W. Walford (1772-1850), was an elderly blind man occasionally called on to preach in a rural English church, who--by reason of his disability--composed sermons in his head to deliver on Sundays, while sitting by the chimney in his home carving shoe horns and other small implements out of bone. Despite his humble circumstances Mr. Walford's command of the Scriptures was so comprehensive and precise that, among those privileged to hear him speak, he had the reputation of “knowing the whole Bible by heart.” One day in 1842 he was visited in his home by Rev. Thomas Salmon, a native of New York who was then serving as pastor at a Congregational church in Coleshill, Warwickshire, England. Walford asked him to transcribe some text he had composed and memorized, as he had no one else at home to commit the lines to paper. Mr. Salmon jotted them down with a pencil as Walford recited them, the old man pausing occasionally to ask “How will this do?” with, as Salmon related, "a complacent smile touched with some light lines of fear lest he subject himself to criticism." After returning to America Salmon submitted the text to the New York Observer, which on September 13, 1845, published what came to be known and loved years later as the hymn Sweet Hour of Prayer:

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"

Little else is known of William W. Walford, except the exquisite lines he bequeathed to posterity. No photograph or portrait of him is known to exist, yet the impact of this simple, blind man on untold millions of lives is incalculable.

In 1860 or 1861, some 15 years after the text's publication, American composer William Batchelder Bradbury (1816-1868) wrote the tune "Sweet Hour" commonly associated with it (Bradbury also wrote the music for other popular hymns, including Just as I Am). The hymn was first published in a Methodist hymnal in 1878.

The beautiful rendition below is a traditional choral setting by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:

Here is a solo rendition, along with a very moving video, by the great gospel singer and hymn composer George Beverly Shea:

Below is another solo rendition by American folk singer and song writer Iris Dement. Her unique voice may be somewhat of an acquired taste, but you won't find a more heartfelt and endearing performance of Sweet Hour of Prayer anywhere:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ~ Matt. 7:7-8

I Need Thee Every Hour

Nothing is more precious to the believer than the Lord's abiding presence--His constant readiness, even eagerness, to guide, encourage, and comfort all who seek him with a sincere and contrite heart (Isaiah 57:15). He is with us "always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20); He will never leave us, or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and "in [His] presence is fulness of joy" (Psalms 16:11). Knowing this, it is right and good to take everything to Him in prayer--our doubts, our regrets, our anguish, our joy, our thanksgiving. Nowhere in scripture is our dependency on the Lord, and our need to commune with Him always, reflected more clearly than in the Book of Psalms (see, for example, Psalms 27:7-9; 69:14-17; 86:1-5; 143:7-10).

And nowhere in Christian music is this truth more simply and beautifully exemplified than in the hymn I Need Thee Every Hour, written in 1872 by Annie Sherwood Hawks (1835-1918). The text expresses our need for God's constant guidance and strength in our lives, and how lost we are without Him.

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

Refrain
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

Refrain

From the general tenor of the text one might think that I Need Thee Every Hour was written during a time of great personal trial--but quite the opposite is true. Near the end of her life Mrs. Hawks described how the hymn came to be (see Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 More Hymn Stories (1985, Kregel Publications) pp 132-134):

One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, "I Need Thee Every Hour," were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me. Seating myself by the open windows, I caught up my pencil and committed the words to paper - almost as they are today. . . .

For myself, the hymn, at its writing, was prophetic rather than expressive of my own experiences, for it was wafted out to the world on the wings of love and joy, instead of under the stress of great personal sorrow, with which it has often been associated.

Born in Hoosick, New York, on May 28th, 1835, Annie was already an experienced, published poet when she penned I Need Thee Every Hour. She and her family had moved to Brooklyn, New York and joined the Hanson Place Baptist Church, where Dr. Robert Lowry--himself a distinguished hymn writer and musician--was pastor.

Annie S. Hawks and Dr. Robert Lowry

Dr. Lowry recognized Mrs. Hawks' literary talents and encouraged her to write hymn texts. Impressed with her work on I Need Thee Every Hour, Dr. Lowry composed the music for the hymn and added a refrain. The hymn was thereafter included in a collection prepared for a convention of the National Baptist Sunday School Association in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1872, as well as in a new songbook compiled by Dr. Lowry in 1873. Still later the hymn was popularized in America and Great Britain through the evangelistic campaigns of Ira Sankey and Dwight L. Moody.

Sixteen years after writing I Need Thee Every Hour, Mrs. Hawks' husband died. She wrote:

I did not understand at first why the hymn so greatly touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long years after, when the shadow came over my way, the shadow of a great loss, that I understood something of the comforting power in the words, which I had been permitted to give out to others in my hours of sweet serenity and peace.

Thus, the story of I Need Thee Every Hour itself shows how compellingly it speaks to our need for God in our lives every moment, in times of both happiness and trial.

Though it is beautiful sung by a choir, I Need Thee Every Hour is especially moving as a solo piece, as it is written in the first person and reflects such a powerful bond between the individual and his Lord. The first video below is sung by the wonderful Christian musician Fernando Ortega.



The rendition below is by the Christian singing group Selah, introduced by a short but moving segment of the contemporary gospel song Part the Waters:



See this video for an upbeat, folk-tinged version by Diane Gibbs.

The following rendition, though perhaps not a slick professional production, is too moving and profound to omit. The hymn is sung by a young married couple, Kate and Ryan Alder, and compiles images from their life together. According to the notes accompanying the video on YouTube, "Kate Alder and Ryan Alder were in a car accident on 9/3/09. Tragically, Ryan passed away as a result of his injuries." If ever a video illustrated what a hymn was all about, this is it. God bless the Alder family, wherever they are.

Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth:
hide not thy face from me,
lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning;
for in thee do I trust:
Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;
for I lift up my soul unto thee.
~ Psalms 143:7,8

God Be WIth You Till We Meet Again

Life is full of hellos and good-byes, meetings and partings, beginnings and endings. The good-byes, partings, and endings can hard to bear, if we embraced and enjoyed what was and long to do so again, or aren't sure what will come next. You may feel that way about 2011, for example, if it was a good and happy year for you. On a more personal level, you may have lost the company of someone whom you hold dear--perhaps for the rest of your life on this earth, or hopefully, just for a time here. This is where I find myself now, bidding farewell to my youngest son as he moves far away from home to begin his first full-time employment, in a new and very different place. I miss him very much already, and worry about his welfare and peace of mind. There is little more I can do for him now but pray that Lord keep him from harm and discouragement.

While so reflecting I remembered the moving hymn God Be With You Till We Meet Again. It is one of my very favorites. The text was written in 1880 by the Rev. Jeremiah Eames Rankin (1828-1904) (left), an abolitionist, champion of the temperance movement, minister of Washington, D.C.'s First Congregational Church, and correspondent with Frederick Douglass. The music was composed specifically for the text at Rev. Rankin's request, also in 1880, by William G. Tomer, then music director at Washington's Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. Rankin attributed the hymn's popularity in large part to the music to which it was set, calling it "a wedding of words and music."

Rev, Rankin explained that God Be With You Till We Meet Again "was written as a Christian good-bye; it was called forth by no person or occasion, but was deliberately composed as a Christian hymn on the basis of the etymology of 'good-bye,' which means 'God be with you.'" But the message is much more than that. It is a prayer for the safety, guidance, sustenance, happiness, spiritual comfort, and life of the person to whom the wish is addressed.

God be with you till we meet again;
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again;
Neath His wings protecting hide you;
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
With the oil of joy anoint you;
Sacred ministries appoint you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you;
Put His arms unfailing round you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Of His promises remind you;
For life’s upper garner bind you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Sicknesses and sorrows taking,
Never leaving or forsaking;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
Strike death’s threatening wave before you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Ended when for you earth’s story,
Israel’s chariot sweep to glory;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

Today, only the first, second, fourth, and seventh stanzas of the original are widely sung.

The rendition in the video below is by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; it is sung in a very quiet and reverent manner, and at an almost-too-stately pace.



The next rendition is by the contemporary Christian group Selah. This is a delightful arrangement and is sung more at the pace at which the hymn is typically sung.



God be with you, son.

"I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." ~ Matthew 28:20

Here With Us

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . . ~ John 1:14

For believers, the core event celebrated in the Christmas season is the birth into the world of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a rich and fascinating story it is!--how His coming was foretold by the ancient prophets; God's choice of humble Mary and Joseph to be His earthly parents; Mary's joyous visitation to Elizabeth, then carrying John the Baptist; the dream that assured Joseph of Mary's divine mission; the journey to Bethlehem; the frantic, blessed night of Christ's birth; the Star of Bethlehem; the Shepherds and the Wise Men; Herod's wrath and the flight into Egypt; the naming and presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple; and the prophecies of glory (and heartache) there given by Simeon and Anna.

But even more astounding is that the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty and All-Knowing Lord, willingly left his Throne in the perfection of Eternity and--rather than coming upon the clouds in all His Heavenly majesty--submitted to be born as a helpless child amidst the animals in a stable, in a dusty little village in a backward, downtrodden land, to poor and humble human parents. No wealth, distinction, or royal courts for Him. Instead, He made Himself the tiniest particle in His own Creation, simply to show us His loving self, to teach us the Way to salvation, and, ultimately, to redeem our souls with His own blood. Can you imagine loving fleas so much that you made yourself into one and willingly suffered all their limitations, just so you could communicate with them on their own level and let them know that you loved them and wanted them to live with you forever? Except that you didn't create fleas or the world they live in, and in all probability would never love fleas enough to give your life for them. But that is exactly what our own Lord did for us, and it all started that chilly, blessed night in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago.

For me, this is the most wondrous Christmas story. It's also the most profound mystery in the history of the world. And this truth is perfectly expressed in the song Here With Us, sung by Joy Williams (2005, Word Music). Enjoy the beautiful video, ponder the lyrics, and try to comprehend--if you can--the Miracle of it all:

It's still a mystery to me
That the hands of God could be so small,
How tiny fingers reaching in the night
Were the very hands that measured the sky

Chorus

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah Son of God, Servant King,
You're here with us You're here with us

It's still a mystery to me,
How His infant eyes have seen the dawn of time
How His ears have heard an angel's symphony,
But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep

Chorus

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King
Here with us
You're here with us
(Oh, here with us)

Bridge

Jesus the Christ, born in Bethlehem
A baby born to save, to save the souls of man

Chorus

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King
You're here with us
You're here with us

MAY EVERYONE HAVE A BLESSED AND JOYOUS CHRISTMAS!

For the Beauty of the Earth

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, when loved ones gather together from far and near to remember and celebrate their blessings. On this day many people make and share around the dinner table lists of things that they're thankful for--employment, home, health, family, and friends being prominent. Hopefully, we remember the God from whom all of our blessings flow, and sing His praises at home or in church.

One of my favorite hymns, widely heard and sung around Thanksgiving time, is For the Beauty of the Earth, written in 1864 by English poet Folliott S. Pierpoint (1835-1917) (of whom no image, apparently, exists). It is related that Pierpoint was taking a walk one late spring day, in the lovely area surrounding his home in Bath, England. Overwhelmed with the beauty he saw, he sat down and wrote For the Beauty of the Earth.

Bath, Somerset, England

In this lovely hymn Pierpoint thanks God not only for His beautiful creation, but also for family, friends and other gifts God has bestowed upon us. The original text had eight stanzas.

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Refrain

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Refrain

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.

Refrain

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Refrain

For Thy Church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.

Refrain

For the martyrs’ crown of light,
For Thy prophets’ eagle eye,
For Thy bold confessors’ might,
For the lips of infancy.

Refrain

For Thy virgins’ robes of snow,
For Thy maiden mother mild,
For Thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesu, Victim undefiled.

Refrain

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.

Refrain

For the Beauty of the Earth is traditionally sung to the tune of Dix, written by German composer and organist Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) (left) in 1838. Originally used as a hymn for communion in Anglican services, it has since become a favorite in Thanksgiving services and for Sunday School children. The hymn was sung in the 1994 movie version of Louisa May Allcott's novel Little Women.

Here is a lovely video and choral rendition of this sweet hymn, by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I love this one because it celebrates and depicts not only the beauty of Creation, as the hymn's title might suggest, but also, and especially, "the joy of human love,/Brother, sister, parent, child"--my favorite lines from the hymn!



Also popular (though lacking the appealing rhythm and folksy simplicity of Dix, in my humble opinion) is an arrangement by British composer John Rutter:



Finally, here is a contemporary solo arrangement by Christian singer/songwriter Scott Dyer. It's very heartfelt and well captures the spirit of the original text.



Let us thank our Heavenly Father in prayer and song, every day, for all the infinite blessings he has bestowed upon us!

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth to all generations.
~ Psalm 100:4, 5

O Valiant Hearts

Of all the themes addressed in the catalog of sacred music, few weigh more heavily on the soul than the the loss of those who have given their lives in military service. Whether it is heard or sung by a mourning friend or a family member, or merely by a grateful fellow citizen, a hymn of remembrance for the fallen can provide sorely needed comfort and assurance to the spirit that the departed soldier, sailor, or airman did not die in vain, but "gave the last full measure of devotion" (Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address) to his or her country and everything that that it, and we, hold precious.

Military hymns are widely heard on November 11, which is observed as Veterans Day in the United States and as Remembrance Day in Great Britain and Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. These observances were established in the 1920s to commemorate the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918 that ended World War I--the so-called "War to End All Wars." If only it had been! The Great War, as it was called then, cost more than 117,00 American lives, but more than 10 million lives in Europe, in four short years. The fighting devastated large swaths of Europe, and with its mud-and-disease-ridden trench warfare, machine gunning, huge artillery barrages, and poison gas, involved combatants and civilians alike in a seemingly interminable orgy of suffering and death.

British wounded at Bernafay Wood, France, 19 July 1916

It's no wonder, then, that those who survived the Great War struggled to find some meaning in the tragic sacrifice of so many promising lives--young men they had known, loved, and cheered as they marched away into the most awful killing fields man has ever seen. For some, faith in God was shattered, but others turned to Him for comfort and hope with an even greater devotion. From that spirit was born the heart-rending, yet stirring hymn O Valiant Hearts. The text was taken from a poem by Sir John Stanhope Arkwright (1872–1954), a member of Parliament from Herefordshire, England, and published in "The Supreme Sacrifice, and other Poems in Time of War"(1919). It was set to music by Dr. Charles Harris, who was the vicar of Colwall in the same county. The combination of Harris' tune and Arkwright's words was an immediate success; the hymn was sung at the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, London, on November 11 1920. Interestingly, according to a BBC feature on the hymn, "both men knew the pain of losing a loved one first hand - Dr. Harris lost a son in the First World War, and one of Sir John's two sons was killed in a submarine accident in World War II."

Sir John Stanhope Arkwright

The text and music of O Valiant Hearts are below:

O Valiant Hearts, who to your glory came
Through dust of conflict and through battle-flame,
Tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved,
Your memory hallowed in the Land you loved.

Proudly you gathered, rank on rank to war,
As who had heard God's message from afar;
All you had hoped for, all you had, you gave
To save Mankind - yourselves you scorned to save.

Splendid you passed, the great surrender made,
Into the light that nevermore shall fade;
Deep your contentment in that blest abode,
Who wait the last clear trumpet-call of God.

Long years ago, as earth lay dark and still
Rose a loud cry upon a lonely hill,
While in the frailty of our human clay
Christ, our Redeemer, passed the self-same way.

Still stands his cross from that dread hour to this
Like some bright star above the dark abyss;
Still through the veil the victor's pitying eyes
Look down to bless our lesser Calvaries.

These were his servants, in his steps they trod,
Following through death the martyr'd Son of God:
Victor he rose; victorious too shall rise
They who have drunk his cup of sacrifice.

O risen Lord, O shepherd of our dead,
Whose cross has bought them and whose staff has led-
In glorious hope their proud and sorrowing land
Commits her children to thy gracious hand.

What most impresses me about O Valiant Hearts is the compelling way in which it compares the brave sacrifice of the men who fought for their country and people with the selfless sacrifice of Christ ("[t]o save Mankind - yourselves you scorned to save.") Our Lord is presented as the One who showed the way through awful trial to eternal victory, and in whose footsteps the valiant marched: "These were his servants, in his steps they trod/Following through death the martyr'd Son of God:/Victor he rose; victorious too shall rise/They who have drunk his cup of sacrifice." No greater tribute could be paid to fighting men than this.

This moving video presentation of O Valiant Hearts features the singing of the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and was created as a tribute to the author's grandfather and father, who fought in World Wars I and II, respectively.

Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
~ John 15:13